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Flower District florists were expected to stay open for 40 consecutive hours in order to accommodate customers on the second busiest day of the year for the California Flower Mall at 825 San Pedro Street.

The market was scheduled to stay open Friday through 9 p.m. or “until the last customer is served,” said Hilda Jimenez, California Flower Mall operations director.

Some vendors like Andy Platon told CBS2’s Joy Benedict they were already feeling the effects of the marathon event.

The Flower District, which is the largest flower market in the U.S., offers discounts of up to 70 percent of retail flower and floral supply products, and is the only place in L.A. where shoppers can hope to find discounted roses on Valentine’s Day.

While most shoppers were seen carrying long-stemmed red rose bouquets for their loved ones, KNX 1070’s Pete Demetriou reports there’s another flower that florists say has a little “something special” to put love into the air.

According to projections from the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumer spending this Valentine’s Day is expected to reach $17.3 billion, with more than one third of total spending — 37 percent — on flowers.